Chapter 4: Breaking Walls

The sun was starting to rise and the house was quiet, except for in the gym hidden away in the back of the mansion. Gloves pummeled a leather punching bag, the whacks echoing around the room as the first rays of dawn crept in through the many windows in the room. They mixed with the heavy breaths taken by the only occupant awake at this hour as he let out all his frustration on the bag he was imagining once again was his dear friend Jefferson's head.

He was grateful for the man's recommendation. Regina Mills was everything Robin had wanted in a nanny for his son. She was hard-working, dedicated, compassionate, and had the touch of a mother. Hearing little Grace praise her after wrestling the phone away from her father had convinced Robin to hire her but seeing her sitting on the steps talking with Roland within minutes of arriving had told him it was going to work out.

When Regina looked up at him, though, Robin cursed Jefferson to hell and back. There had been one very important thing he had forgotten to mention about Regina Mills—how absolutely beautiful she was.

It had been her warm brown eyes and soft smile that had his heart skipping a beat. Robin had managed to remain calm while talking with her, despite his heart still beating rapidly and his growing annoyance with Jefferson. When she had left to settle in her new room, he had fired off an angry email to the man. The response back seemed dripping with Jefferson's satisfaction.

So you've noticed, huh? Wait until you accidentally run into her wearing nothing but a towel. Good luck with that!

A few seconds later, Robin got another e-mail:

All joking aside, yes, she's beautiful but I didn't recommend her to set you up romantically. Regina Mills is the best nanny out there and I know she is the perfect fit for Roland. And in the five years she's worked for me, I've become honored to call her a friend. If you do anything to hurt her, I will fly out to Storybrooke and kick your ass all the way back to England.

Got it?

The last thing Robin planned to do was hurt any of his employees and he certainly wasn't going to pursue Regina. Marian hadn't been gone a year. He still hugged her pillow at night, inhaling her scent as he drifted off to sleep. Robin was far from ready to think of another woman romantically. He could appreciate Regina's beauty but in the end, all he wanted was to be friends with her.

She just made it so difficult, he thought as he took another jab at the bag. The moment on the top of the stairs was the only time he saw her eyes unguarded when she looked at him. Afterwards, he could see the walls behind them and he wondered what had happened to cause her to erect them. Especially toward him as she saw her be open to Roland as well as Will. He couldn't have insulted her already…could he?

He had counted it a victory that he had convinced her to stop calling him "Mr. Locksley" within her first week of employment. But that was his only victory in gaining her friendship. He had a few warm moments with her, but after a month, he could only count them on one hand.

When he realized punching the bag wasn't helping, he called it a day. Robin hopped in the shower before plopping himself in his favorite oversized leather chair with a glass of whiskey. He turned to Will, who lounged in the recliner with a cold beer. "How do you do it, mate?" he asked.

"You'll have to be more specific, Robin," Will said. "How do I keep your house clean? Cook such amazing meals? Keep my girlish figure?"

"Get Regina to open up to you."

Will sat up, the leg rest closing with a loud bang. "She talks to you."

"She mostly argues with me," he replied, taking a sip. "She's proud and I don't mean that as an insult."

"I know."

Robin sighed in exasperation. "I just want to get to know her. She's living under my roof and is practically a stranger."

"It's only been a month. You can't expect her to tell you her entire life story that soon. Not everyone is as open as you."

"I know that," Robin replied. "But all I know about her is that she's a great nanny, Roland adores her, she has a sick father named Henry and she hasn't gone swimming since she was a child."

"I didn't know that last one," Will said before sighing. "Look, Emma said that Regina is complex and guarded but if you give her time, she will open up to you."

"I don't even know who Emma is!"

Will chuckled. "Emma's her best friend and the nurse taking care of her father."

"Oh," Robin said. "I feel like I should've known that."

"You're working with her, not dating her."

"I know that. I'm not looking to date her or anyone right now. But…I don't know. Maybe I'm not expressing myself clearly." Robin leaned back, taking another gulp of whiskey.

Will chuckled. "I think you're just not being honest with yourself."

Robin narrowed his eyes as he glared at his friend over his glass. "Careful, Scarlet."

"Fine." Will held up his hands. "I'll let you live in denial a bit longer. Good night, Robin."

"Good night," he murmured, leaning back with the rest of his whiskey. He didn't know what Will was playing at but it would make itself known sooner rather than later. When it came to his friend's riddles, the answers always revealed themselves at the right time.

Regina remained polite yet aloof as it began to really feel like autumn, with brisk temperatures and red leaves covering his lawn. He liked to check in with her once a week, to see how Roland was doing and if she had any concerns to report. She never did, except to ask about getting Roland a flu shot as the weather got cooler. "He may not go out, but the adults in his life do," she pointed out. "One of us could easily give it to him."

"I'll call Dr. Whale and see if he'll make a house call. He's offered in the past so I doubt he'll mind," Robin said, making a mental note. "Is there anything else?"

She pushed her wet hair behind her ear and it looked like she was considering telling him something. Instead, she shook her head and pulled her bathrobe tighter. "No, everything's fine. Have a good night, Robin."

He watched as she stepped into a room and closed the door as she gave him a small smile. Robin ran a hand through his hair before heading down to his bedroom, ready to turn in for the night. He tried to block out Jefferson's words about running into Regina in her towel, though she was always in a robe when he saw her. Robin kept telling himself that he needed to start talking to her earlier but always found himself only having the time right after her shower. Will would read something more into it but Robin just kept telling himself it was a coincidence.

The fact she was haunting his dreams more and more was also a coincidence.

Dr. Whale agreed to come out on a Friday, which was a good thing as Will came down with the first cold of the season. Robin chose to stay home though Regina insisted she could handle everything. "It's fine," he said. "Besides, Will is an awful patient. I don't think even Mary Poppins could nanny my five years old and my thirty-eight years old while taking care of the house."

Regina nodded, a hardness to her eyes Robin didn't like. "Fine, if you insist. You're the boss."

"Regina, I don't doubt your abilities. You are an amazing nanny. There's no shame in needing help," he said.

"Of course not," she said, voice tense. "Do you want anything for breakfast?"

"Whatever you decide to make will be fine," Robin said, sagging as he realized he had insulted her in some way. He just wish he knew how so he could apologize and not do it again.

Regina ended up making omelets, which she had to coax Roland to try. "It has everything you like, I promise," she said. "Just try a bite. Please?"

"Come on, Roland. I love it." Robin took a bite of his own omelet and smiled. It was good—better than Will's, though he wouldn't tell his friend that. Who knew what he would put into his next one as payback?

Urged on by his father, Roland took a bite. And then another. Within seconds, he was attacking the omelet and the two adults breathed out in relief. Regina moved back to the counter, pouring herself some coffee and grabbing her own plate.

Tension settled over the table between him and Regina as he tried to figure out how to make it right. He thought they were making some progress in approaching friendly and he didn't want to risk it, to start all over. Or worse, to lose the chance to be her friend at all.

He still didn't know why it mattered but he didn't care. It mattered and he was going to rectify this situation.

Regina cleared the dishes and he walked over to the sink, placing his hand on her arm. "I can do that. Why don't you get Roland ready for his lessons with Mary Margaret?" he suggested.

"Whatever you want," she said, pushing away from him. He closed his eyes, counting to ten as she led his son from the kitchen. She was going to be the death of him this day, he swore.

Someone rang the doorbell and he dried his hands as he hurried to answer it. Mary Margaret's green eyes widened when she saw him. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Will's sick so I'm helping Regina," Robin explained, standing aside to let her in. He then muttered under his breath: "Not that she's letting me."

Mary Margaret smiled. "She's like that. I think it's from working with my father, I'm afraid."

"Your father?" Robin frowned. "I didn't know she worked for Blanchard Financial."

"She doesn't really like to talk about it. Please don't tell her I told you about it."

Robin's frowned deepened. "Why not? What happened, Mary Margaret?"

She sighed, biting her lower lip. "Regina's asked me not to discuss it and I'm going to respect that. You're just going to have to wait until she tells you."

"I think Hell might freeze over before that with the way things are going." He glanced up the stairs, spotting Regina coming down with Roland. Sighing, he squeezed Mary Margaret's arm. "If you'll excuse me."

He darted from the room, ashamed to be running but unable to deal with her at that moment. Sneaking up the backstairs, Robin escaped to the sanctuary of his home office and closed the door.

For the next hour, he delved further into Regina's career and learned she was just as qualified to run his company as she was to take care of his child. Her resume had only listed her nanny jobs but it had listed the University of New England as her college. Going back through their records had revealed she had graduated magna cum laude and with various honors. She had been offered a position at Blanchard Financials before graduation and spent the next three years climbing the corporate ladder until she was positioned high up in the company. From what he could gather from colleagues he had managed to reach, many predicted she was on the fast track to becoming the youngest CFO in the country.

What he couldn't figure out is why she had suddenly left Blanchard Financials and went back to school to study child development, becoming a nanny in the process. Everyone he spoke to grew vague and reluctant to talk about it, almost like they couldn't. He had a feeling that the only ones who would tell him the truth were Mary Margaret, her father Leopold and Regina. And two of those three weren't going to talk. Perhaps he could wrangle Leopold's number out of his daughter…

Knocking interrupted his train of thought and he frowned. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Papa!" Roland said.

Robin smiled as he stood, opening his door. His son jumped into his arms, wrapping his arms around his neck. "Regina says it's time for lunch," he said.

"Well, then, we shouldn't keep her waiting," Robin said, carrying his son down to the kitchen.

He set Roland at the table before turning to Regina. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No, I have everything under control," Regina said, placing a grilled cheese sandwich on a plate. She cut it into triangles for Roland. "You just go sit down."

Though he was tempted to pick up his son's plate, Robin decided it was best to sit down and let Regina do the work. Perhaps it would put her in better spirits.

She placed plates in front of both him and Roland, handing them glasses of milk as well. He glanced up at her. "Are you going to eat?"

"Later," she said, picking up a tray. "Once you're done and Will's eaten. Excuse me."

He watched Regina walk away, staring at the hallway that led to Will's rooms until Roland tugged on his sleeve. Robin glanced down, smiling at his son. "What is it, Roland?"

"Is Regina angry at us?" Roland asked, eyes wide.

Robin sighed, unsure how to answer. He ruffled Roland's curls. "She just has a lot of work with Will being sick. She's not angry at you."

Satisfied that all was well with his nanny, Roland returned to his lunch. Robin wished it was just as easy to ease the tension with Regina.

Mary Margaret entered, carrying her own lunch bag. She smiled as she approached the table. "May I join you?" she asked.

"You don't have to ask," Robin replied, with a smile. He stood and pulled a chair for her.

She sat down, looking impressed. "Well someone is quite the gentleman."

"If I call my mother, would you tell her that?" Robin's eyes twinkled. "She's terribly worried that America has ruined me."

"Nonsense. And I'll tell her that."

They exchanged smiles as Regina blew back into the kitchens. Robin looked up, frowning. "Is Will okay?"

"He's a horrible patient," she said, sighing. "I had to fight him to get him to eat his soup."

Robin sighed. "Yeah, he's like that. I can fight him over dinner. I'm used to him."

"I can handle a petulant man child," Regina shot back.

"Regina!" Mary Margaret admonished.

The dark haired woman gave her younger colleague a look and Mary Margaret turned back to her lunch. Roland slid off his chair and approached his nanny, throwing his arms around her waist. Her eyes widened a bit but she hugged Roland back. She knelt down to look him in the eyes when he released her. "What was that for?" she asked.

"You seemed to need it," Roland said, smiling. "Do you feel better?"

She smiled. "I do. Thank you, Roland."

"Come on, Roland. We have a few more lessons to get though." Mary Margaret held out her hand and Roland took it. As she passed Robin, she paused and bent low to whisper: "Just be patient. She's skittish but when she starts trusting, she trusts with her whole heart."

He nodded, picking up his empty plate and putting it in the sink. Glancing at her, he took a deep breath. "Is it okay if I wash my dish?"

"It's your kitchen," Regina replied, not making eye contact with him. "You own the house."

"Regina," he started but she was running to some other part of the house before he could finish his thought. He sighed as he continued washing the dishes. They had to stop running from each other and be responsible adults. And he had a feeling he was going to have to bite the bullet and take the lead.

Before he could talk to Regina, Victor Whale showed up to exam Roland and give him his flu shot. "You're doing the right thing. Best to keep Roland protected," Whale said.

"Of course," Robin agreed. "It was his nanny's idea."

"Ahh, will I get to meet the new nanny?" Whale asked, smiling.

Robin nodded. "I imagine so. Roland's quite taken with her so I figure he'll want her with him for this."

He was correct. Roland insisted on sitting on Regina's lap as Whale examined him. It tugged at Robin's heart, squeezed it because Roland always sat on Marian's lap at the doctor's. He had drawn strength from his mother, able to handle anything with her holding him. And now, it seemed he was drawing strength from Regina.

Robin was torn between being envious—his son should be turning to him—and being relieved—at least he was turning to somebody.

Whale was as kind as ever with the boy, talking to him as he examined him. "Good news, Roland! You're the picture of perfect health," he told Roland.

Roland beamed. "Do I get a lollipop?"

"Not yet," Whale said. "There's one more thing I have to do. You want to stay healthy, right?"

"Uh huh," Roland said, nodding.

"Then I need to give you a shot, kiddo."

Roland's eyes widened and he went pale. "No! No shot!"

"It's just one," Whale started.

"No!" Roland started to climb over Regina, who tried to hold him still. "I don't want a shot! Save me, Regina!"

She tried to keep a grip on him as he kept wiggling away from her. Regina told him all the reasons why the shot was good but Roland just kept protesting. For the first time, Robin saw Regina's patience start to wane.

He was frozen, though. Marian was better at getting Roland to sit for his shots than Robin was. All he wanted to do was hold Roland and keep him from any pain, even if he knew it was a brief but necessary evil to protect his boy.

But watching Regina and Whale fight Roland made Robin realize he had to step up and be the strong one for Roland now. He stood and scooped up his son, holding him close. "That's enough, Roland," he said, voice stern.

"I don't want a shot," Roland whimpered.

Robin settled the boy on his lap. "I know, my boy. Why don't we play a game instead?"

"A game?" Roland perked up. "What kind of game?"

"I want you to name all the colors you can think of. Can you do that?" It was a game Marian had often used when Roland needed a shot. He'd be focused on listing whatever she asked, he'd never notice the prick of the needle.

It worked now. Roland scrunched up his face in concentration, rattling off every color in his crayon box as Whale disinfected a spot on Roland's arm. He stuck the needle in, pushing the plunger to release the vaccine that would keep the boy safe from the flu this winter. Once he was done, he removed the needle and put on a Captain America Band-Aid, remembering he was Roland's favorite hero.

"Okay, Roland, that's it for now," Robin said. "Dr. Whale is done."

Roland stopped listing colors and looked down at his arm. He looked back at his father, scowling. "You tricked me!"

"Yes, I did. And I'll probably do it again," Robin said, setting him on the floor. "Go and play while I settle up with Dr. Whale."

Regina took Roland's hand and led him off to his playroom as Whale packed his bag up. Robin held out his hand to the man. "Thank you for making the house call."

"My pleasure. Just another reason to charge your insurance company an exorbitant amount of money." At Robin's glare, Whale held up his hand. "I kid. Roland is a sweet kid and I'd do anything for my patients. You know that."

Robin nodded. "Still, this does seem to be going beyond the call of duty nowadays."

"I know." Whale picked up his bag. "I left a prescription for Will, to help with his cold."

"Thank you. Hopefully that'll help because he's just whiney when he's sick," Robin said, chuckling. Whale joined in as they headed toward the door.

Robin headed toward Roland's playroom, hearing his son's laughter echo down the hall. He smiled as he picked up his pace, eager to join in Roland's merriment.

He stopped at the doorway, though, taking in the scene before him. Regina had a crown on her head, sitting in the middle of Roland's most ferocious stuffed animals. He held a toy sword and shield, "fighting" the monsters keeping Regina prisoner. "Don't worry, Princess! I'll save you!"

"Be careful, brave knight!" Regina called out, getting into her role as damsel in distress. She glanced up, eyes meeting Robin's. When she gave him a wink, he almost fell over in surprise.

Roland knocked over his stuffed dragon with his sword and leapt into Regina's arms. "There you go, fair princess. The monster has been van…van…Has been destroyed!"

"My hero," Regina said, hugging him. "Whatever shall we do now?"

"I hope something I can play as well," Robin said, entering the room.

His son smiled, hopping out of Regina's arms and into his. "Okay, Papa. What do you want to play?"

"Let's go check out your toy box and see what we have to choose from." Robin hoisted him up, settling Roland onto his hip as they looked into the box.

He reached his hand into the toys and pulled one out. "How about this?" he asked, holding the toy to Roland.

Roland paled and he shook his head. "Not that one."

"Why not?" Robin asked, frowning. "I'm sure we can have fun with this."

"NO!" Roland grabbed the toy and hurled it at the wall. It smashed into pieces, dropping to floor.

Robin remained frozen to the spot, unsure how to handle the flailing boy in his arms. He had never seen Roland act like that before, not even during his so-called terrible twos. Part of his brain told him he needed to discipline his son but no words came out.

"Roland!" Regina took the boy from his father's arms and set him on the floor. She frowned at him. "You know better than to behave like that! You're going to have to sit in the time out chair. Come on."

She led the sniffling child from the room and he finally walked toward the smashed toy. Robin picked up the pieces and slid along the wall until he was sitting on the playroom floor. It took him a few blinks to realize his contacts were still in place and his vision wasn't blurry—his hands were shaking so bad, the pieces he held were vibrating.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked, stepping back into the playroom.

Robin shook his head. "A toy plane. I didn't even bother looking, even when he got upset. How could I be so stupid? So awful?"

She sank down next to him and he braced himself for a lecture as it was clear she knew more about childrearing than him. She probably thought him a fool.

"You're not stupid. Or awful," she said, softly. "Children react to loss differently. And sometimes they get angry."

He gently banged his head on the wall. "You've experienced this before?"

"My mother left the day after my eighth birthday," she said.

Anger coursed through Robin. How could a mother leave her child like that? No wonder Regina seemed to understand the pain of losing a parent. He remembered Roland's words her first day in the house—she didn't have a mama but she wasn't in heaven. At least Roland knew Marian was in heaven, looking down on him and still loving him. Regina had to grow up knowing her mother was out there and didn't want a relationship with her.

"Looking back, I realize now it was a long time coming," she continued. "My parents no longer loved each other and they fought all the time. But for a long time, I blamed myself."

Robin frowned. "What did you think you had done?"

"I thought it was what I hadn't done. That I hadn't gotten good enough grades, done enough activities, and that I just hadn't been good enough. If I had been better, I thought I would've been loved by my mother and she would've been happy. Then she wouldn't have left.

"But what I ended up focusing on…Well, all I wanted for my birthday was a dollhouse. I knew money was tight so it didn't have to be a big, expensive one. But Mother had said we couldn't even afford a frivolity like a birthday party for me, so a dollhouse was definitely out."

The anger coursing through Robin's veins increased in its intensity. Every child deserved a birthday party. He remembered Marian staying up late to put goody-bags together for children whose parents asked her to give their children birthday parties. Those parents had to scrimp and save but they still managed to buy small presents for their children. Why couldn't Regina's mother? And what did her father have to say?

"Though I never had a party with my friends before that, Dad always took us out to eat at the diner across the street. It's owned by a woman I've always ever called Granny," Regina recalled, her eyes misting over. "She would make me a cake and the entire wait staff plus the patrons would sing me happy birthday before I blew out my candles. That year, I wished I was able to get my dollhouse."

Robin tilted his head. "Did you?"

She smiled as she nodded. "It was sitting on our kitchen table when we got home. Dad bought me this little one but it was a white two-story house with some furniture and three dolls—mom, dad and daughter. I loved it."

"And how did your mother react?"

"Not well. She raged at my father, accusing him of being fiscally irresponsible. He finally snapped and yelled back that he could spoil me on my birthday, that my mother didn't need all the fancy clothes and jewelry and perfumes she bought." Regina let out a shuddering breath. "I learned when I got older and had to start doing our finances that my mother was a compulsive buyer with very expensive tastes. That my father's salary would've been more than enough to support a better lifestyle for our family than we had. She just kept living beyond our means and kept us in debt for a long time, even after she left."

Robin decided he really hated her mother. She had been selfish and put her own desires above her family's needs. Though he wouldn't say it aloud, he believed Henry and Regina Mills were much better without the woman. "So your mother left over a dollhouse?"

"She left because after I went to bed, Dad had a serious talk and told her he was putting her on a budget and that she would have to get a job to help pay back her debt. But I didn't know that so I blamed my selfish desire for a dollhouse. I couldn't play with it and it felt like it was taunting me each day."

"What happened?" Robin asked, glancing down at the pieces that once had been Roland's toy plane. He then got a feeling what Regina's answer was going to be.

She followed his gaze and nodded. "I destroyed it. Dad had a toolbox and I took his hammer to it. He found me curled amongst the wreckage, crying. That's when he got me help."

"Help?"

"I was diagnosed with depression and was treated for it," Regina confessed. At Robin's panicked look, she held up her hands. "I'm fine now and haven't needed medication for years. You have no reason to worry about me being around Roland, I assure you."

Robin grabbed her hand. "That's not what worried me. Do you think Roland is depressed?"

"He's not really showing the symptoms, but then again I didn't tell my dad about how guilty I was feeling until we were in counseling," Regina said. She squeezed Robin's hand. "But I'm sure Dr. Hopper would've told you if Roland was. I think he was just angry and that's understandable."

She stood, rubbing her knees. "Anyway, I think he's been in timeout long enough. Excuse me."

Regina left the room and Robin stood himself. He tossed the pieces of the plane into the garbage can. Until Roland asked him for one, no new toy plane would enter the Locksley household. He would not traumatize his boy any further.

(He also made a note to have a long talk with Dr. Hopper the next time he came to talk with Roland).

He heard sniffling and turned to find a teary Roland clutching Regina's hand as she walked him back into the playroom. Roland stopped before his father, keeping his eyes glanced to the ground. "I'm sorry I threw and broke the plane, Papa."

"You're forgiven," he said, crouching down to lift Roland's chin up. He gazed into his son's brown eyes. "But next time, use your words. Okay?"

Roland nodded before latching onto his father. Robin held him close, rubbing his back as he whispered soothing comments to him. He glanced up at Regina, who inched closer to the door. "I'll go make dinner. You two look like you need some time alone."

Once she was gone, Robin settled with Roland on the bean bag in the room. He grabbed one of Roland's favorite books—The Cat in the Hat—and started reading to the boy. They went through several Dr. Seuss books before Regina came to get them for dinner. By then, everyone was in a better mood—much to Robin's relief.

That night, Robin changed into one of his workout outfits—dark blue shirt and black mesh shorts. He laced up his sneakers and grabbed his iPod, heading down to the gym. He had a lot to work through with his punching bag.

He walked past Regina's room and part of him hoped to see her coming from the shower, like she did every day around this time. But her door was shut while the bathroom's was wide open. She probably had turned in early and he didn't blame her. It had been a long, tiring day.

Robin checked on Will, finding his friend buried under a pile of blankets and used tissues, but asleep. He assumed the medicine was working and hoped Will felt better soon.

When he arrived at his gym, Robin was surprised to find the lights were already on. He peeked inside and his mouth almost dropped open. Regina wasn't asleep in her bed, like he thought. No, she was wearing a red Lycra tank top and black yoga pants as she worked out on the elliptical. Her dark hair was pulled back into a short ponytail which bounced in time with her movements. Earbuds were planted firmly in her ear as she listened to music.

He had once overheard her tell Will that she hadn't really had time to work out due to her jobs, but it was clear she had found a way to keep herself in good shape. She had a flat and tight stomach and toned arms, which had often been hidden by long sleeved shirts up until now. Robin imagined her legs were the same and he found himself hoping to find her in a bathing suit soon…

The thought brought a frown to his face. It was inappropriate for him to have it only months after losing Marian and about his son's nanny. Yes, Regina was beautiful, but she was not there for his sexual gratification. And he wasn't going to treat her like such, even in the privacy of his own mind.

Robin moved into the gym, placing his things down on the bench by his punching bag. He wrapped up his hands as he heard the elliptical stop. Glancing up, he met Regina's surprised eyes. "Working off some frustrations?" he asked.

"It's been a stressful day," she admitted. "Sorry if I disturbed you."

"You were here first. There's nothing to apologize for."

She tucked a strand of hair that had gotten loose behind her ear. "Yes, there is. My behavior earlier today was uncalled for. I know you were being helpful and that you didn't doubt my abilities but…Well, the depression may be under control, but my self-worth issues still rearing their ugly heads every so often. I'm afraid today was one of those days."

Regina had gone from being tight-lipped to admitting to several weaknesses to him in one day. And Robin found he was glad that he had finally earned her trust at last. He smiled and nodded. "I accept your apology. And I think I shall be more understanding the next time."

She nodded, backing up toward the door. "Well, I'll leave you to your workout. Good night, Robin."

"Good night," he responded. As he picked up his gloves, he thought of something and called out: "Regina?"

She peeked back into the room and he tilted his head. "Did you ever get a new dollhouse?" he asked.

"Yes, I did," she replied with a smile. "Dad got me a new one for Christmas. It was exactly like the one I destroyed—except it came with only a Daddy doll and a Daughter doll. No Mother doll."

Robin nodded and wished her a good night again. He turned to his punching bag, feeling more confident that Roland too would feel comfortable playing with a plane again one day.

A/N: Here's part four. I'm trying to get these chapters out as soon as possible because I know you all love it. And I want to thank you for all your kind words about it. I'm so glad everyone is enjoying it.

So, yes, Cora walked out on Henry and Regina. But don't count her out of this story just yet…

I hoped you enjoyed this peek into Robin's mind. We return to Regina's next chapter but I have a feeling we'll jump back into his a bit further down the road.

Thanks again for all your support.

-Mac